Through the Clear, Cold Air
by Lomonaaeren
Summary: HPDM slash. Harry enjoys carriage rides in the snow, but even more, he enjoys being able to come in from the cold and sit in front of the fire with the person he most loves. COMPLETE.


**Title: **Through the Cold, Clear Air

**Disclaimer: **J. K. Rowling and associates own these characters. I am writing this story for fun and not profit.

**Pairing: **Harry/Draco

**Warnings: **Fluff, established relationship

**Rating: **PG

**Wordcount: ** 1200

**Summary: **After being out in the snow, Harry's glad to get back into the warmth, and doubly so when he's with the person he most loves.

**Author's Notes: **Another Advent fic, for lijahlover, who gave me the prompt of _Draco and Harry go out on a carriage ride and go back to warm up in front of a fire with hot chocolate, they can live at Malfoy manor._

**Through the Clear, Cold Air**

"Ready?" Draco reached out and adjusted the fur rug around Harry without waiting for an answer, then leaned forwards and touched the reins of the Aethonans tied to the carriage. They snorted and began to prance through the snow.

"I'm fine," Harry said, snuggling himself into the thick, dense white fur. He could see grey dapples patterning it, and hoped that it was really conjured, as Draco had said, and not stolen from some poor animal.

No. He knew it was. He had left most of his suspicions of Draco behind a long time ago. They only returned when Draco was trying to seduce him, and then suspicion was healthy and encouraged, all part of the game.

"As far as the cold goes, I mean," Harry added, and nodded ahead of him towards the chestnut horses. They were prancing even more now, and their heads tossed, making the silver bells on their bridle jangle merrily. "I don't know about the reins." The reins were only fastened to the high, swan-shaped front of the carriage.

Draco smiled at him and leaned back against him. "Aethonans are sentient. They know what they're doing—"

The horses abruptly broke into a gallop, and the huge white wings, until that moment furled tightly against their sides, unfurled. Harry could see a faint blue light burning along those wings, like the moonlight that cast such vivid shadows on the snow. The carriage left the ground as the Aethonans pulled, all in unison, and Harry saw the shadow of their hooves trailing them. Then they were up, and soaring straight and smooth. The blue light of the magic surrounded the carriage, keeping it steady and not dangling down behind the Aethonans like Harry had been half-afraid would happen.

"Admit it," Draco murmured, wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders and leaning comfortably against the back of the carriage. "You just don't trust anyone to fly you except yourself, on your own broom."

"It's the principle of the thing," Harry muttered, even as he rested his head on Draco's shoulder, and watched Draco cast a Warming Charm. "I can stop the broom if I need to. No one's going to stop them except themselves."

Draco laughed. "But it's warmer here than it would be riding in your Quidditch leathers, admit it."

"Warmer," Harry admitted, and then felt a smile pulling at his mouth when he saw the intent look Draco gave him. "And more luxurious." He leaned further back, almost slouching down into the open carriage, and watched the cloud of the Aethonans' breath swirl around them like silver smoke. "And better company."

"Considering how we associated when we played games at Hogwarts, I think that's true."

Draco was steady beside Harry, and a center of warmth himself. Harry leaned even closer, although he also tilted his head so that he could see over the corner of the carriage and down to the dark, shadowed ground they were passing over.

He couldn't see much: snow, the tops of trees, now and then a shine of light from distant Muggle houses or villages. Once, they soared above a blaze of yellow and orange that had to be a fairly large town. Harry tried to imagine what would have happened if he'd been born without magic or never learned of it. He could be down there, behind a warm window, sipping hot chocolate and not knowing anything about what flew above their heads.

Harry smiled. A great tenderness towards Muggles swept him, but he shook his head at the same time. He would never want this life, even with all the dangers he had passed through, to be taken away from him. He loved too much about this chance to fly through darkness, listening to the flap of wings on creatures most Muggles thought of as legend, and beside a man who would never consent to exist in the Muggle world.

"What are you thinking about?"

Harry turned his smile on Draco. "What would have happened if I was born a Muggle," he murmured, and wound his arm through Draco's.

"I would still have found you." Draco's eyes were intense, and he reached out and traced Harry's lips with one finger. "There are legends of wizards following their magic to their one true mate, and that doesn't matter if it's a Muggle or a Veela or a _dragon_, sometimes. I would have found you."

Harry leaned over to kiss him, and the cloud of their breath rose to join the Aethonans', as the horses turned and swept back over the moon.

* * *

><p>Harry had no idea how appealing he was, with his cheeks flushed and his eyes shining brighter than the moon or the snow or the Aethonans' coats and wings as he sat by the fire with his hands extended, still chattering about their ride.<p>

Draco, his hands full of mugs of steaming liquid chocolate, wasn't about to tell him. There was no need for Harry to go around thinking he could have almost anyone who saw him like this-although it was true. There _was _a need for Draco to be close to him at all times and chase away other people who might fancy him.

It was very nice to offer Harry a mug of the chocolate and watch him gulp it, burn his tongue, and fan his mouth with one hand while he went on talking. Draco sat next to him and sipped his own chocolate more sedately.

"The only thing that would be better is if we could do it again whenever we wanted," Harry said, finally flopping back and looking exhausted and satisfied in a way he usually only did when they were in the bedchamber. "But I shudder to think how much you spent on this one ride."

Draco smiled over the rim of his cup, paused a minute, and then let Harry see it. He set the mug of chocolate down and took Harry's hand.

"What?" Harry demanded.

"Shudder and keep shuddering," Draco told him. "I bought the carriage and negotiated a fair price with the Aethonans and their former owner in terms of the care I'd take of them and the money I'd lavish on their food."

Harry stared at him with that wonderful, open-mouthed forgetfulness of himself that Draco treasured and had only seen a few times. "Why?" he whispered. "I know how much you value your money."

Draco loved being able to say the next words, first because they were so perfect, but mostly because they were so true.

"Because I value seeing you happy more than I value any money."

Harry gave a shout and flung himself on Draco, and Draco didn't even mind about the hot chocolate that spilled all over one of his most expensive pairs of robes. Robes could be cleaned. Carriages could be bought. Rides could be taken.

There was no substitute for the delight in Harry's eyes, or his kisses.

**The End.**


End file.
